Do You Have Sciatica?

If you are experiencing pain that radiates from the back or buttocks, all the way down the legs, you may have a common condition called sciatica. Many people in Penticton suffer with the pain of sciatica, and many never achieve a long term solution. An untreated sciatic condition can continue to worsen and make the daily tasks of living go from difficult to impossible. This article is aimed at helping you to understand sciatica, and explains how chiropractic treatment can help you to overcome it.

Sciatica in Penticton

Sciatica, which is also known as sciatic neuralgia, is a condition that causes pain in the low back, down the back of the leg and into the foot. It can make sitting and standing for long periods of time difficult and can lead to weakness, tingling and numbness in the leg and foot. It will often come and go throughout a person's lifetime, causing periods of varying degrees of pain and discomfort. If left unchecked, sciatic pain will generally grow worse and the nerve can become permanently injured.

The reason why the pain travels so far, seems to radiate up and down the legs, and back is because it is caused by the compression of the sciatic nerve, the longest nerve in the body. This nerve originates in the lumbar spine extends into the buttocks before traveling down the leg to the ankle and foot. When the vertebrae in the low back are compressed, the roots of the sciatic nerve can become pinched and irritated, which is what causes the pain and injury.

How Do You Develop Sciatica?

There are a number of factors that can lead to sciatica. It is most commonly caused by disc injuries and bulges. In this incidence, the disc presses against the nerve root causing the issue. Disc Injuries can occur because of poor posture, repetitive use injuries and accidents. Sciatica is also common when there are subluxations (misalignments) in the spine due to postural issues, pregnancy or trauma. Some patients say they simply bent over to pick up a piece of paper, and they were hit with extreme pain. The reality is that the spinal condition was probably developing for quite some before the triggering incident occurred.

Some people respond very quickly while others take more time to recover. It really depends on the condition of the disc or the joints that the chiropractor has to correct. In most cases, the longer the issue persists, the longer it will take to achieve correction. The great news is that it typically takes less time to fix an issue like this than it took to create it. Once the position of the spine and discs are improved, patients often report improvements to their overall health. If you are experiencing symptoms of sciatica call our team at NuVista Chiropractic and Wellness today.

“Dr. Shayna helped me with severe back pain during my pregnancy and kept me feeling good throughout the last few months. Now she treats my little ones, and there is no one else I would trust them with! I would highly recommend her to anyone looking for quality care!”

- Zowie B.

“Without Dr. Ryan, I don't know if I could get out of bed in the morning. He works to keep my body in alignment, even after I do everything I can to make his job difficult. The staff is all great and super friendly. Five stars for sure.”

- Robin S.

“Ryan Ranit and his staff are amazing! I always leave his office feeling better, no matter what new injury I come in with. He is very professional and always gives me exercises so that I don’t have to be in the office every week. I recommend this office for anyone needing a great chiropractor.”